An X-ray diagnosis apparatus is used for diagnosis and the like of an object by taking an X-ray photograph of the object by irradiating X-rays generated from an X-ray generator to the object and exposing a film with X-rays having passed through the object. Further, the X-ray diagnosis apparatus is also used for diagnosis and the like by detecting X-rays having passed though the object using a planer type X-ray detector composed of a plurality of X-ray detecting elements disposed two-dimensionally and flatly, and by drawing an X-ray image having a distribution of intensity and density of the detected X-rays on a monitor in place of a film.
Since the planer type X-ray detector used in the X-ray diagnosis apparatus and the like generates heat in operation, when the characteristics of detected X-rays are changed by a temperature change due to the generated heat, there is a possibility that the quality of the X-ray image is changed.
To cope with this problem, temperature change of the planer type X-ray detector is prevented by a cooler using a Peltier element as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-271456. That is, the planer type X-ray detector including semiconductor materials such as gallium and arsenic etc. is hermetically sealed in a glass casing or the like so that it is not adversely affected by moisture and the like, the Peltier element is bonded on the glass casing, and a heat sink is attached to the radiating surface of the Peltier element. The heat sink is forcibly cooled by an air cooling fan as well as heat is radiated therefrom by convection, thereby the X-ray detector is cooled through the Peltier element and the glass casing.
On the other hand, as a cooler of the X-ray generator for generating X-rays, there is a circulation cooling system is employed as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 11-367296. In the circulation cooling system, a vessel, in which an X-ray tube is accommodated, is filled with insulating oil as a heat transfer medium, the insulating oil is continuously extracted to the outside of the vessel and returned thereinto after it is cooled.
Although the heat generated by the planer type X-ray detector is about 0.1 kw, it is required to stably keep the X-ray detector within a predetermined temperature range (for example, from a room temperature to about 35° C.) to prevent deterioration of image quality. In contrast, when imaging is executed using a film, since the X-ray generator consumes power of about 20 to 30 kw for several seconds, it generates heat in a quantity large than that of the planer type X-ray detector. However, it is sufficient to keep the X-ray generator at a temperature equal to or less than 75° C. Further, although power consumption in fluoroscopy executed using the planer type X-ray detector is about 0.2 to 0.6 kw, power is consumed for a long time (for example, one hour).
As described above, since the planer type X-ray detector and the X-ray generator generate heat in a different quantity and are kept at a different temperature, they have coolers provided individually in the conventional art, and it is not taken into consideration to commonly use one of the coolers by both the devices.